Dispensing container



Aug. 28, 1962 w. B. ELAM 3,051,357

DISPENSING CONTAINER Filed Dec. 24. 1959 IN VEN TOR. W/Ll/AM Elli/F050 EL 4M 3,051,357 DHSPENSING CONTAINER William Binford Elam, Jersey City, N.J., assignor to American Can Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Dec. 24, 1959, Ser. No. 861,872 1 Claim. (Cl. 222-480) The present invention relates to dispensing containers for granular or comminuted pourable products and has particular reference to such a container wherein stationary baflie means are provided for selectively permitting sifting or pouring of the container contents.

The present invention con-templates the provision in such a container of sifting means which are operable in conjunction with a conventional hinge mounted wing type pouring spout to effect the selective dispensing of the container contents. The sifter means, in essence, comprise a plurality of sifting openings which are provided in a container wall adjacent the pouring spout, and a baffle which is disposed in inwardly spaced relation to the sifter openings and deflects the product away from the sifter openings when the container is held in position to pour the products through the spout.

The baffle comprises an imperforate element which forms a normally empty pocket beneath the sifter openings, the pocket opening laterally into the interior of the container so that in order to reach the sifter openings and be sifted from the container, the product must pass through the lateral baflle opening and enter the pocket. The holes and the bafile element are preferably placed in longitudinal alignment with the pouring spout, with the lateral opening of the baffie element facing the spout and positioned closely adjacent the aperture in which the spout is disposed, but on the side of such aperture opposite to the side where the spout hinge is mounted.

Thus, when the spout is opened and the container tilted to effect a bulk pouring of the contents through the spout, the bafile opening is automatically positioned at the bottom of the pocket, and the granular product flows past the bafiie opening and out through the spout without entering the pocket. Since the granular or powdery product is a solid, there is sufficient inherent frictional resistance to the flow of the product to prevent it from flowing upwardly into the pocket and out through the sifter openings during this pouring operation.

However, when the pouring spout is closed and the container completely inverted so that the bafile opening is disposed laterally, the product readily flows laterally through the baflle opening and enters the pocket, from whence it flows out through the sifter openings so that the desired sifting action is effected. In the event the product is unusually resistant to flow, a gentle shaking action of the container will usually sufiice to cause it to enter the pocket and be sifted therefrom.

An object of the invention therefore is the provision of an inexpensive dispensing container wherein a pouring spout and sifter openings are utilized in cooperation with each other to effect selective sifting or pouring of the container contents, stationary baffle means being provided to automatically prevent the flow of the contents through the sifter openings when the pouring spout is being used.

A further object of the invention is the provision in such a container of bafile means to create a pocket inwardly of the sifter openings, the pocket being provided with a lateral opening which is automatically faced downwardly to prevent the product from entering the pocket and being sifted therefrom when the pouring spout is being used.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the rates Patent "ice following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a dispensing container embodying the principles of the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 22 of FIG. 1, the container being shown in inverted position with its pouring spout closed and the container contents being dispensed through the sifter openings;

FIG. 3 is a view, similar to FIG. 2 but showing the container in tilted position with its pouring spout open to effect pouring dispensing of the container contents, the view showing how the internal baffle prevents the contents from reaching the sifter holes in thi position;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bafiie dissociated from the container, and

FIGS. 5 and 6 are sectional details taken substantially along the lines 55 and 66, respectively, of FIG. 1.

As a preferred and exemplary embodiment of the instant invention, the drawings disclose a fibre container 10' containing a pourable granular product such as salt 12. The container 10 comprises a cylindrical fibre body 1 4 which is closed at its upper end by a planar end or top wall 16 of a drawn fibre slip cover 17 which is adhesively secured in place on the body 14. The bottom end of the container is closed by a suitable end member (not shown).

The container wall 16 is formed with a trapezoidal pouring opening 18 in which is positioned a hinged wingtype pouring spout 20 which is preferably made from suitable sheet material such as aluminum, tin plate, or stiff fibre. The pouring spout 20 is formed with a pair of laterally spaced, sector shaped side wings 22 which depend from a trapezoidal sealing wall 24, the wall 24 being similar in shape to the opening 18 and closing the latter when the spout is in closed position, as seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 6.

The spout 20 is preferably mounted on a'wire pintle 26 which is secured to the container wall 16 adjacent the wide end of the opening 18, the spout wall 24 being provided with a folded-back lug 28 which is wrapped around the pintle 26 to secure the spout in place in the opening 18. Pivotal movement of the spout 20 around the pintle 26 is limited by lateral lugs 32 which engage the undersurface of the top wall 16 adjacent the side edges of the opening 18 when the spout 20 is in fully open position, and by a tab 33 which projects forwardly from the sealing wall 24 and engages the upper surface of the top wall 16 when the spout is in fully closed position. The spout 20 is also provided with a pair of integral, laterally extending bosses 34 formed in the wings 22 which snap beneath the top wall 16 adjacent the side edges of the opening 18 to hold the spout in closed position, as best seen in FIG. 6.

A plurality of sifter openings 40 are provided in the top end wall 16 immediately adjacent the narrow end of the spout opening 18 to provide for sifting of the product 12 when the spout is in closed position. In order to prevent the sifting action from taking place when the contents are being dispensed through the open pouring spout, a baffle or shield 42 is provided inwardly of the sifter openings 40.

The baffle 42 is preferably formed from a single piece of suitable material such as sheet metal or stiff fibre, and comprises a pair of laterally spaced, triangular side walls 44 and an inclined trapezoidal wall 46. Thus, as seen in FIG. 5, the baffle 42 is of substantially U-shaped crosssection to define a channel, which channel, by virtue of the inclined Wall 46, is closed at one end. The baffle 42, in the disclosed embodiment of the invention, is secured in place against the bottom surface of the end wall 16 3 with the closed end of the baffle channel remote from the pouring opening 18, by means of three lugs 48 which extend through corresponding slots formed in the cover wall 16 and are bent outwardly to lie flatly against the outer surface of the wall 16.

When thus secured, in place with the baffle channel confronting the sifter openings 40, the baffie 42 creates a pocket 50 which is disposed immediately inwardly of the sifter openings 40 and is closed on all sides except for the side which faces the pouring aperture 1 8 and spout 20, this side being open and, when the container is in its normal upright position, comprising a lateral opening 52 which provides for communication between the pocket 50 and the interior of the container 10.

As seen in FIG. 2, when the spout 20 is in closed position and the container 10 is inverted to dispose end wall 16 in a substantially horizontal plane, the pocket opening 52 faces laterally and the pourable product 12 flows readily through it and into the pocket 50, and thence sifts through the sifter openings 40 in a sifting dispensing action. During this sifting action, the bosses 34 maintain the pouring spout 20 in closed position against the weight of the product 12 pressing downwardly upon it. If necessary, the container may be joggled laterally toexpedite the flow of the product into the pocket 50 and through the sifter openings 40.

When it is desired to dispense the product 12 from the container in bulk, the container is partially inverted to the position shown in FIG. 3, with end wall 16 inclined to the vertical and the spout 20 disposed below the sifter openings 40, thus causing the product 12 to flow directly through the aperture 18 and out through the spout 20 in a pouring dispensing action.

When the container is held in this tilted position, the lateral pocket opening 52 faces downwardly and is disposed at the bottom of the pocket 50 and below the sifter openings 40. As a consequence of this, the product 12 flows past the opening 52 and directly out through the aperture 18, there being little or no tendency for it to flow upwardly into the pocket 50 because of its non-liquid physical characteristics. Consequently, the product 12 does not sift through the sifter openings 40 when the container is thus positioned, and all of the dispensed product may be directed into a restricted area, such as the open mouth of a salt cellar, without spillage.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

In combination, a dispensing container for a granular product or the like wherein said container is provided with a substantially planar end wall,

said end wall having a pouring aperture provided with a closure therefor,

and said wall having a plurality of unobstructed sifter openings spaced laterally from said pouring aperture,

a baffle having a substantially U-shaped cross-sectional configuration defining a channel and having one end of said channel closed, and means securing said battle to the interior of said end wall beneath said sifter openings with the open side of said channel confronting said sifter openings,

said bafile being disposed with its closed channel end remote from said pouring aperture to define with said end wall a pocket opening towards said pouring aperture,

whereby when said container is tilted to dispose said end wall at an angle to the vertical with the pouring aperture below said sifter openings said batfle prevents entry of the granular product into said pocket while permitting dispensing of the product through said pouring aperture upon closure removal,

and when said container is tilted to dispose said end wall in a substantially horizontal plane, said granular product may enter said pocket for dispensing through said sifter openings.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

